Certain embodiments in the present disclosure pertain to medical component delivery and more particularly to tools for delivering active medical components for chronic attachment within the pericardial space.
In certain instances, a patient suffering from bradycardia, tachyarrhythmia and/or heart failure will benefit from electrical stimulation pacing and/or defibrillation electrodes implanted on an epicardial surface of the patient's heart. Minimally invasive methods for accessing the epicardial surface, which is enclosed within a pericardial sac, have recently been developed; these methods provide for piercing through the pericardial sac in order to access the epicardial surface; an example of one such method is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,848. These methods may be used by way of a mini-thoracotomy or in conjunction with a trocar, canula or catheter that has been passed, via a percutaneous incision, through an interstitial space between the patient's ribs, via a supramanubrial or a sub-xiphoid approach or with a jugular-type access; those skilled in the art are familiar with these techniques.
Once access to the epicardial surface is established, the implanting physician may desire to implant into the pericardial space a medical electrical lead, including an appropriate electrode configuration and/or one or more physiologic sensors suited to the patient's need. The physician will almost always need to maneuver the electrode-bearing portion of the lead within the space in order to implant the components at an appropriate location and in a way to provide effective and stable chronic cardiac therapy and/or monitoring of various physiologic parameters.